Filed under: Aftermarket, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Chevrolet, Ford, Humor, Design/Style

“There are thousands of products available to customize a car’s performance or handling. There are even more products for unique interiors, exteriors, lights, and sounds. But, in the midst of all the products and kits out there, no one has been able to alter their car’s emblem… until now.” So says Emblem Alive, a newly created company that seeks to change the face fascia of motoring forevermore.

Actually, we have seen custom emblems before, but we’ll let them get away with their statement anyway. ‘Cause it’s just that cool. Or something. Seriously, who wouldn’t want a galloping, neighing Ford Mustang emblem on their brand-new ponycar from the Blue Oval? Or, ya know, a golden Bowtie that beats like The Heartbeat of America?

Let’s play with the idea of a dancing and singing emblem a little bit, shall we? How about a growling Jaguar Leaper? Or a Rolls-Royce Spirit of Ecstasy that pops up from the grille (oh, wait) and speaks in the most pretentious voice you can come up with: “My other car is a Veyron” as it dances like a dashboard-mounted novelty hula girl. A Ram 1500 that proudly declares ‘Yeah, it’s got a Hemi.’ Our personal pick: a Z-car emblem that whispers “Black Gold.”

“The choices are amazing. The possibilities are endless.” Why yes, they are. And don’t you worry. A spitting Cobra is reportedly in the works.

By the way, we’re well aware that Thursday is April 1st, and this could very well be an extremely elaborate joke intended to make us all look foolish. That said, somebody sure went to a whole heck of a lot of trouble if that’s the case. We want to believe, we really do. You will too - just click past the break to watch the video and read the press release. All your dreams will come true. Trust us.

[Source: Emblem Alive]

Continue reading All-singing, all-dancing car emblems warp our fragile little minds [w/video]

All-singing, all-dancing car emblems warp our fragile little minds [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Marketing/Advertising, Chrysler, Earnings/Financials

Company representatives for Chrysler have been in contact with at least 50 dealerships regarding reinstatement into the the automaker’s dealer network. According to a leader who represents the 400-plus dealerships seeking arbitration, the dealers contacted will receive intent letters to begin the lengthy reinstatement process.

Two weeks ago, Chrysler signaled that it had no intention to reinstate any dealers, who were seeking arbitration, back into the network. Now Chrysler has released a statement confirming that they have been in contact with the dealers and will issues letters of intent for reinstatement.

According to Tamara Darvis, a co-leader of the Committee to Restore Dealer Rights, more than a dozen dealers contacted her regarding discussions with Chrysler representatives and the promise of letters of intent to begin the reinstatement process. The letters are expected to be mailed immediately.

Right now, it’s unclear if any additional dealerships have been contacted regarding reinstatement, but it’s believed that up to 30 more dealerships could be included. According to several reports, the arbitration process is long and costly to the automaker, but reinstatement of dealerships seeking arbitration may actually be more economically feasible for Chrysler and could become a solution for more and more dealerships seeking arbitration.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

Report: Chrysler to reinstate at least 50 dealerships, maybe more originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 07:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Government/Legal, Marketing/Advertising, Safety, Videos, Australia, Humor

Like it or not, we were all teenagers at one point or another. Which means we all did our very best to endanger the life and limb of everyone around us on the road. Mix a healthy dose of hormones with an unfiltered belief in one’s own invincibility, and suddenly you’ve got the perfect concoction for highway hell-raising.

These days, we’ve even thrown in a healthy dash of technology to add a little distraction to the mix. To help teens develop good driving habits, VicRoads (Victoria’s highway department) in Australia have rolled out a new ad campaign, complete with profanity-laced pleas for teens to be more attentive behind the wheel (”Don’t be a d*ckhead!”, etc.). Hit the jump for a look, but be warned, the language may be a little NSFW. Hat tip to Igor!

[Sources: Mumbrella, VicRoads]

Continue reading Video: Local Aussie authority using profanity to keep teen drivers in line

Video: Local Aussie authority using profanity to keep teen drivers in line originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 29 Mar 2010 12:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Hatchback, Mazda, Humor

Mazda’s commercial advertisements have long relied on the “Zoom Zoom” catchphrase, denoting that the assorted vehicles from the Japanese automaker are more fun to drive than their more staid competition. But eventually even Mazda drivers need to find a parking spot after Zoom Zooming themselves around all day.

Plus, even the smallest and most practical of cars, in this case a diminutive Mazda2 from the United Kingdom, have trouble parallel parking into the tight confines of an urban parking spot… unless, of course, there happens to be a Rube Goldburg-esque (though imminently more simplistic) contraption in place to ease the sketchy situation.

Wanna see how it’s properly done? Click past the break to find out, and check out veryfunnyads.com for more crazy car commercials from around the world.

[Source: veryfunnyads.com]

Continue reading Funny Car Commercial of the Day: Teeter-Totter Parking Edition

Funny Car Commercial of the Day: Teeter-Totter Parking Edition originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Government/Legal, Marketing/Advertising, Hyundai

A California-based Hyundai dealership has filed a lawsuit against Hyundai Motor America claiming that the automaker did not provide help to the struggling dealership despite contractual agreements and assurances that Hyundai would do everything necessary to help out the dealership during the economic downturn.

Estes Automotive Group, owner of Merced Hyundai in California, claims that the company treated them unfairly and did not act in good faith. The suit, filed in early March by Estes, seeks $30 million in losses that the dealership endured under promises from Hyundai that the company would help them weather the economic storm.

Estes claims that Hyundai strung the dealership out for more than a year promising to provided assistance as long as the dealership continued to operate. The dealership was instructed to go about its business as usual and Hyundai would take care of the financial situation. With these words, Estes continued to operate the facility at a loss counting on support from Hyundai which never came.

Hyundai Motor America has not commented on the matter, but has until the beginning of April to respond to the lawsuit. The suit is demanding a jury trial against Hyundai on the grounds of the company “engaging in a calculated scheme to bleed assets and operating capital, and ultimately destroying the business.” Merced Hyundai closed its doors for good in January.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

Report: Hyundai getting sued by former CA dealer for $30M originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 18:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Chevrolet, Racing

“As long as we stay on the track, don’t run into anybody and the pit stops are good…” were the famous last words of Dave Binks, Corvette Racing crew chief. He spoke these words on the afternoon of Friday, March 19 following qualifying for this year’s 12 Hours of Sebring. Some 24 hours later, they turned out to be a bit too prophetic, and not in a good way.

The second episode of the Corvette Racing Series takes a look back at a less-than-successful outing for the C6.Rs at the American Le Mans Series opening round. The two Corvettes actually ended up running into each other in the pitlane and spent extended periods getting repaired.

As program manager Doug Fehan closes out with, the team now has to go back to the shop, looks at what they did wrong and learn so that it doesn’t happen again. Now on to Long Beach. Check out the video after the jump.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Corvette Racing Series Ep. 2: 2010 12 Hours of Sebring

Video: Corvette Racing Series Ep. 2: 2010 12 Hours of Sebring originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Renault, Humor

Football fans - or, if you happen to live in the United States… soccer fans - are well aware that 2010 is the year of the FIFA World Cup. The international competition has been run every four year since 1930, except in 1942 and 1946 when it was not contested because of World War II. Stay tuned for this year’s festivities in June and July from South Africa.

What does soccer football have to do with cars? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Unless you are Renault, it would seem. The French automaker has been associating itself with the sport for the last few years with a series of print and video advertisements for its Megane hatchback.

One such ad, which you can find conveniently pasted after the break, shows exactly what might happen if one overly exuberant Megane-owning football fan misjudges the power of his own free kick. Click here to see more funny car commercials from veryfunnyads.com.

[Source: veryfunnyads.com]

Continue reading Funny Car Commercial of the Day: Free kick edition

Funny Car Commercial of the Day: Free kick edition originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 25 Mar 2010 08:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Cadillac

When the first-generation Cadillac CTS went on sale in 2003, the brand-revitalizing sedan incorporated a new design language that General Motors called “Art & Science.” The idea behind the new design language was to “”incorporates sharp, sheer forms and crisp edges - a form vocabulary that expresses bold, high-technology design and invokes the technology used to design it.” The design came with its own marketing campaign too, which brought many new customers to the Cadillac brand.

In recent years Cadillac has used the tag line “Life. Liberty. And the Pursuit” as its marketing mantra, but Automotive News reports that the Wreath and Crest is getting back to its roots. GM Marketing Chief Susan Docherty told AN that “Art & Science” is making a comeback, and the brand’s new ad agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty is creating all-new assets for print, web and television spots, along with a fresh perspective for the Cadillac website.

And while Docherty is now in charge of all of GM’s marketing initiatives, she’s also going back to her roots with the Art and Science revival. Docherty was at Cadillac a decade ago when A&S was created. She’s even bringing back Kim Brink, who is leaving her post as Chevrolet marketing director to oversee Art & Science part deux. The all-new ad campaign will reportedly hit the mass media in about three weeks.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req.]

Cadillac resurrecting Art & Science ad campaign originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Mar 2010 11:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Government/Legal, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Kia

With all of the lawsuits flying, at least Kia knows its commercials are being watched. First, it was a problem with fellow Korean automaker Hyundai using a Louis Vuitton-like fabric; now, Drive-In Music Company, Incorporated has tossed lawsuits at Kia, CBS, NFL Enterprises and creative agency David & Goliath, among others. At issue is the head-bobbingly catchy tune used in the TV spot for the Sorento, which debuted during the Super Bowl.

Drive-In Music agrees that the song is catchy, and contends that this is due to the fact that UK artist The Heavy’s sampled Drive-In’s artist Dyke and the Blazers. How Kia, CBS, D&G and everyone else becomes a party to this case of fair-use fuzziness is quite a head-scratcher, other than the obvious money grab, of course. There’s a marked similarity between The Heavy’s “How You Like Me Now” and Dyke and the Blazers’ “Let A Woman Be A Woman,” and it’s not a stretch to imagine that the original song was the source of the riff. Some producers have record collections that run incomparably deep with some of the most obscure cuts; it’s the way the Amen Break became so ubiquitous, for example.

Sampling has always been a hot potato, and while Drive-In may have cast an excessively wide net in this case, you can’t blame the company for looking out for its interests. Still, it’s certain that D&G did its best to clear all of the music and characters featured in the ad, which portrays characters like Muno from Yo Gabba Gabba, an overgrown sock monkey and toy robot reveling in grown-up fun. When clearing The Heavy’s work with its label, the fact that the song had been released on the 2009 album “The House That Dirt Built” implies that label Counter Records had settled any samples contained therein. The fact that The Heavy’s song was used by Kia in a commercial aired during the Super Bowl shouldn’t make them targets. This issue appears to really be between Drive-In Music and Counter Records, though nobody stands to walk away with any money that way, which appears to be the whole point of tossing this cluster bomb in the first place. Videos posted after the jump for your review.

[Source: The Car Connection]

Continue reading Kia being sued for song in Super Bowl ad

Kia being sued for song in Super Bowl ad originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Mar 2010 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Buick, Cadillac, Ford, Hyundai, Jaguar, Lincoln, Porsche

Continue reading Porsche and Lincoln climb to top of J.D. Power 2010 Vehicle Dependability Study

Porsche and Lincoln climb to top of J.D. Power 2010 Vehicle Dependability Study originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Mar 2010 07:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Hatchback, Ford, Celebrities, Design/Style

In case you hadn’t noticed, Fox’s hit show American Idol is back in full swing, and this is the first week that the competition has been narrowed down to the top 12 finalists. As you might expect, then, it’s high time that the annual Ford sponsorship of AI goes into high gear as well.

Each of the Top 12 Idolists teamed up with four of Ford’s brightest up-and-coming designers to come up with their own unique take on the Blue Oval’s well-regarded Fiesta hatchback. Fans of the show (or fans of the car, we suppose) can enter the Ford Music Video Challenge once per week from March 17 through May 21, 2010, for a chance to win one of the vehicles you see here and a trip to the set of a Ford Music Video shoot. The grand prize winner gets a package that includes a Fiesta with their choice of one of the Top 12 designs and tickets to the AI finale.

We’ve gallerized a front-three-quarter shot of each contestant’s Ford Fiesta design below. You know, each one of them is just so…. unique… that we can’t quite goad ourselves into picking a winner. Therefore, we’ve just placed them in alphabetical order by the Idolists’ first names. Feel free to rank them yourselves in the Comments. Full details on the Ford Music Video Challenge can be found here, and you can find the official press release after the jump.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading American Idol finalists team with Ford designers to create their own Fiestas

American Idol finalists team with Ford designers to create their own Fiestas originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 22:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Truck, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Volkswagen, Humor, South America

When life gives you lemons… make lemonade. So goes the ol’ saying, at least. But what if the curveball life happens to be throwing your way (and the rest of your small Brazilian town) is an active volcano? Well then, make popcorn.

And we can think of no better vehicle with which to climb the fire-spewing peak than a Volkswagen Saveiro, which is sadly one of VW’s made-in-Brazil, non-U.S.-market offerings. The little trucklet features a flex-fuel 1.6-liter engine underhood that offers up 101 horsepower on gasoline or 104 when drunk on ethanol.

Check out the video after the break, and visit veryfunnyads.com for more gut busters. Now, we’re off to find a gigantic salt shaker and plenty of artery-clogging buttery goodness.

[Source: veryfunnyads.com]

Continue reading Funny Car Commercial of the Day: When life gives you lemons…

Funny Car Commercial of the Day: When life gives you lemons… originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Minivan/Van, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Work, Fiat, UK, Humor

Imagine the TV show, “The Office.” No, not the American version that catapulted Rainn Wilson into superstardom, but the British original. You know…the sitcom that helped launch creator and star, Ricky Gervais, into the spotlight. Now imagine it set in a fleet management company called Lightfoot Logistics. That is the setup for a new viral marketing effort created for Fiat’s UK van business, of all things.

Fiat has produced a series of short mockumentary-type webisodes chronicling the day-to-day activities at the firm and a full Lightfoot website to go with it. There is plenty of sexual innuendo in the videos, but they are pretty tame and make this Office-knockoff almost as funny as the real thing. Almost. We’ve embedded the first two episodes after the jump for your lunch-at-work viewing enjoyment. Click through to see Pete and Dave take on a rival’s clueless salesman and watch as they head to the area commercial van show to check out the Doblo and its competition, nearly getting sidetracked by an obnoxious acquaintance.

WARNING: Videos after the jump are set to auto play.

[Source: Lightfoot Logistics]

Continue reading Video: Fiat takes on ‘The Office’ with online fleet management sitcom

Video: Fiat takes on ‘The Office’ with online fleet management sitcom originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Ford, GM, Honda, Toyota

When the U.S. auto market crashed in the fall of 2008, automakers bumped up incentives in a big way to clear dealer lots of bloated inventory. But when Cash for Clunkers drained inventory - with industry-wide incentives reaching $3,165 per vehicle - while simultaneously removing nearly 700,000 used vehicles from the market, automakers quickly weened themselves off incentives.

Steering clear of heavy incentives likely wasn’t all that difficult for Toyota, as the Japanese automaker has traditionally kept prices near MSRP even in the leanest of times. That changed, though, when Toyota became synonymous with the term “unintended acceleration.” Toyota’s nightmare public relations scenario came true as the traditionally quality-rich automaker was forced to recall over eight million vehicles. Sales dropped like a stone in the first two months of 2010 while every other automaker outside of Auburn Hills, MI saw substantial gains compared to a rough 2009.

Toyota had to do something to get foot traffic on the showroom floor, so the Japanese automaker took the outrageous step of offering zero-percent financing on its most popular models. Analysts at Edmunds and elsewhere tell us that the early returns from the big discounts are positive, with Toyota sales reportedly up an estimated 47 percent versus March, 2009.

But with Toyota once again rolling, other automakers are looking to turn more sales, and incentives appears to be the best way to do that. Detroit automakers are back on the zero, and even Honda is spending big on incentives. Barclays Capital tells Automotive New that a 60-month, zero-percent loan on a $30,600 vehicle costs an automaker a staggering $4,857. That’s a lot of coin, but the early returns of cash on the hood are positive. And Edmunds reports that early March sales are up to 12.5 million on an annualized basis, the highest levels achieved since the Clunkers program.

So it appears as though Toyota started a potentially expensive, drawn-out incentives war. In the short term, customers win regardless of which automaker makes out best with these fresh incentives. Over the long haul, though, automakers need to make a profit so they can make more of the products we love so much.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req. | Image: Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP/Getty Images]

Report: Toyota kicks off industry-wide incentive blitz for March originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Car Buying, Coupe, Performance, Marketing/Advertising, Dodge

Having trouble deciding which of the three modern muscle cars you want to buy? Dodge is now providing some extra incentive to buy a Challenger over a new Ford Mustang or Chevrolet Camaro. Through April 30 Mopar is offering $2,000 in “Mopar Bucks” to anyone who buys a Challenger R/T, R/T Classic or SRT8, allowing customers to choose between several combinations of performance parts and accessories.

For those who want their Challenger to look even more retro, the best option is probably Mopar’s exterior package. It includes a body-color hood with scoop, rear “Go-Wing” and stripe graphics. Of course, at $1,995, that leaves you with nothing left for performance parts. That’s why we’d probably opt for the cat-back exhaust system ($1,190) and pair it with the interior package ($780) for the manual transmission (of course) that includes a T-handle shifter and full car cover. For super-boring more practically minded Challenger buyers, Mopar is also offering customer care packages that include scheduled maintenance, towing and roadside assistance and rental car allowance. Thanks, but no thanks. Get all the details of the offer after the jump.

[Source: Chrysler]

Continue reading PSA: Buy a Dodge Challenger, get $2,000 in Mopar bucks for go-faster (or look faster) bits

PSA: Buy a Dodge Challenger, get $2,000 in Mopar bucks for go-faster (or look faster) bits originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Motorsports, Marketing/Advertising, Subaru, Racing

Click above to view the trailer after the jump

Of all the fictitious captains of industry and superheroes ever to grace the silver screen, Tony Stark’s got to be one of our favorites. Why? Well aside from flying around the world in his super-suit and kickin’ terrorist butt, he’s also a hardcore car guy. Just look at the Audi R8, Saleen S7 and the poor old Shelby Cobra he nearly ruined in the first episode. Now the sequel is almost upon us, and Tony is taking to the track in a Stark Industries-sponsored single-seater. (See for yourself in the trailer after the jump.) But though the company and its eponymous chief may be fictitious, that won’t stop them from actually sponsoring a real race car of their own.

As you can see from the photo above, Iron Man 2 will be sponsoring Stephan Verdier’s Crawford Performance-prepped Subaru Impreza in this season’s Formula Drift series. That’s nothing new: Movies, superhero movies especially, often sponsor racing teams. (Just check out David Coulthard on the podium in a superman cape or Jarno Trulli riding the bat-pod to see what we mean.) But if you look closer, you’ll see the Stark logo on the quarter-panel. So while we wait to see Stark’s on-screen heroics in the upcoming movie, we can enjoy Verdier’s on-track heroics in Formula D as well. Top Tip, Andy!

[Source: MotorWorldHype]

Continue reading Iron Man Tony Stark to sponsor Formula D car? [w/video]

Iron Man Tony Stark to sponsor Formula D car? [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Hybrid, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Hatchback, Toyota, Humor

With all of the buzz surrounding Jim Sikes and his “runaway Prius” last week, it doesn’t surprise us that the funny folks at Saturday Night Live have spoofed the situation in one of their infamous fake advertisements.

As you’ll recall, Sikes claims that his Prius started to accelerate unintentionally and that he couldn’t stop the car by simply hitting the brakes. Big news, indeed. Late last week, however, new details were uncovered to suggest that the whole incident may have just been one big scam. Toyota will be releasing the full results of its investigation later this afternoon, so we’ll wait until we have the official word before we start pointing any fingers. Hit the jump to watch the SNL commercial.

[Source: NBC]

Continue reading Video: SNL pokes fun at runaway Prius with fake Ford commercial

Video: SNL pokes fun at runaway Prius with fake Ford commercial originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Budget, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Hatchback, Ford, India

Ford aims to take India by storm with its new Figo hatchback, designed to be the leader in its class from the outset. As you might imagine, the first television ads pushing the new ride frame the car as being perfect for Indian drivers. Mehendi ink on the dashboard? No worries! Super-cold A/C? Check. Plus, there’s room for your your lucky elephant - small or large. Follow the jump to check out two of the new Indian spots for the Ford Figo.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Indian-market Ford Figo ads take on local flavor

Video: Indian-market Ford Figo ads take on local flavor originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 14 Mar 2010 16:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Minivan/Van, Marketing/Advertising, Work, Nissan

No surprise here, really. Just one short day after officially revealing its first-ever commercial vehicle for the U.S. market, Nissan has launched a corresponding website to go along with its NV series of vans.

As you would expect from such a website, Nissan allows you to see both the standard and High Roof models in a complete 360-degree view. The Japanese automaker told us in its official press release that a great deal of research was conducted to find out exactly what commercial users wanted from their vehicles, and on the site, you can watch a number of such interviews on video.

Despite the fact that this is Nissan USA’s first commercial van, the Japanese side of the the automaker’s coin has been in the work-vehicle business for over 75 years, and naturally they are more than happy to tell you all about it. Wanna learn more? Click here.

[Source: Nissan]

Strictly Commercial: Nissan NV website comes online originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Car Buying, Marketing/Advertising, Chevrolet, GM

A[nother] different kind of car company. A[nother] different kind of car. Apparently, as it once did with its Saturn division, General Motors is again fiddling with the tried-and-true dealership sales model by creating two separate new test programs that would potentially offer a low-pressure car buying environment.

One of them, a so-called Test Drive Studio, would be a “permanent or semi-permanent, minimally branded, brick-and-mortar” facility that would first appear in Chevrolet-centric areas such as Miami, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Chicago. Included amongst the newfangled features would be test drives in the Chevy Malibu, Traverse and Equinox, followed by their main competition. “May the Best Car Win,” indeed.

According to Steve Tihanyi, general director for marketing services, alliances and branded entertainment, “It’s a non-threatening environment. It’s not pressure-filled; you can drive all the right competitive products against the [vehicles]. If you take Malibu as an example, we will also have vehicles like Camry, Accord, Ford Fusion, or Taurus, so you get a really good cluster of vehicles to experience at your own pace.”

Also new will be a competitive test-drive program that will run concurrently with auto shows in 30 markets all around the United States. “One thing we know about auto shows is a lot of people who come will be in market in zero to 12 months,” says Tihanyi.

To go along with the new dealership test model, GM will start a digital marketing campaign in each of the four aforementioned test markets, targeting buyers currently shopping for vehicles in GM’s competitive markets. Says Tihanyi, “So, hypothetically, if you are on Edmunds.com and shopping a Camry, we are going to offer up an opportunity to come to the Test Drive Studio in that market to compare everything you have in your shopping set right now. Our feeling is you may have not had the Malibu in your consideration set, but if you try it, you will.”

[Source: Marketing Daily | Image: Scott Olson/Getty]

Report: GM launching pair of low-pressure ‘test’ dealerships that offer competitor car drives originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Car Buying, Marketing/Advertising, Toyota

As Toyota’s recall issues hit a fevered pitch over the past few months, customer confidence faltered and sales predictably suffered. We were wondering how Toyota would react to the comparative dearth of showroom traffic, and the answer was to take a page out of the domestic’s tattered handbook: big-time incentives.

On March 1, Toyota announced zero percent financing, subsidized leases and free maintenance for two years, and the early results appear to be extremely favorable. Automotive News reports that analysts are seeing big-time gains for the Japanese automaker, with evidence that sales are up 50 percent so far for the month. A 50 percent sales increase for the month would more than wipe out Toyota’s depressing January and February, but analysts like Edmund’s Jessica Caldwell reportedly feel sales will level out to a predicted 30 percent rise by March 31. “Incentives work best in the early going, but they start to peter out as the month goes along.”

So does news of a Toyota sales increase means that Americans are tuning out the recent influx of bad news including a pair of reported runaway Prius hybrids in the interest of saving money? AN reports that analysts like Caldwell and George Magliano at IHS Global Insight feel Toyota loyalists are jumping at the company’s big-time incentives, and the brand will have to try new things to attract new customers in the months ahead. That may be true, but we’re thinking Toyota must be more than a bit relieved that customers are coming back to showrooms, at least for now.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req. | Image: Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP/Getty Images]

Report: Toyota sales may bounce back big time in March originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Chevrolet, GM

General Motors is working hard to improve the image of its core brands, and the largest GM division, Chevrolet, will be getting some fresh new marketing in the near future. The theme, “Excellence for Everyone” will debut in ad spots over the next two months.

In a web chat yesterday, GM’s North American president Mark Reuss told the Detroit Free Press that Chevrolet will be using the Camaro and Corvette more frequently in its advertising to improve the brand’s overall image. “When have you ever seen ‘Vettes and Camaros in ads for Equinox and Malibu?” Reuss stated. And speaking of the Malibu, Reuss says that GM needs to “re-energize the car,” so expect a new set of ads focused around Chevy’s well-liked midsize sedan, as well.

[Source: Detroit Free Press | Image: Stan Honda/AFP/Getty]

Chevrolet to employ new “Excellence for Everyone” ad campaign originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Aftermarket, Sedan, Performance, Japan, Marketing/Advertising, Hatchback, Mitsubishi

In a letter issued to its customers, Ralliart, a Japanese high-performance subsidiary of Mitsubishi, has announced that it is closing its doors. The company’s business case has apparently faded, a victim of the wilting domestic aftermarket scene as well as its lack of continued motorsports involvement.

Naturally, we wondered if and how the closure of the company responsible for its high-performance parts and related merchandise would impact the development, production and marketing of Mitsubishi vehicles sold here in the States - more specifically, the Lancer Ralliart and Sportback Ralliart models. To answer that question, we spoke with Mitsu spokesman Maurice Durand, and he informs us that the closure of Ralliart will not, in fact, have any affect on the availability or continued marketing of these models (or any future branded offerings), as Mitsubishi owns the rights to the name, logo, and so on. Furthermore, all licensing agreements in foreign countries remain intact.

So, while you may not be able to get a genuine JDM Ralliart strut-tower brace or shift knob, you can breath easy that the SportBack that you’ve been saving your lunch money for will still be at your local dealer by the time you’ve got enough scratch. Official press release after the jump.

Continue reading Ralliart announces it is closing its doors… so what does that mean for Mitsubishi?

Ralliart announces it is closing its doors… so what does that mean for Mitsubishi? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Classics, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Mercury

“It’s peppy,” the salesman said as an enticement to buy… It’s not that the Mazda 323/Ford Laser-based first-generation Tracer was a bad car, but the Escort apparently called stronger for our own hard-earned dollar, so we drove home in a brand new 1989 wagon. Ford apparently figured this out with the second-generation Tracer, which was joined with the Escort as part of a comprehensive redesign in the early 1990s.

Must have been a step in the right direction - that car managed to make it onto Car & Driver’s 10Best list. A preponderance of Tracers seem to have been painted metallic teal, one of the hottest colors of the time, but even in its second iteration the Tracer was nothing more than someone else’s hardware with a badge/grille job.

Out of all the shelved model names it could choose from, Mercury is apparently going to dust off the Tracer name for an interplanetary version of the new Focus. Since the next-gen Focus appears to be so good, the new Tracer ought to follow suit, but why not take this opportunity to remember a time when power mirrors and a tachometer were “features?” On to the videos, then, after the jump.

Continue reading Video: Memory Jog - Revisiting the Mercury Tracer

Video: Memory Jog - Revisiting the Mercury Tracer originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Car Buying, Marketing/Advertising, GM, Toyota

Recently, General Motors has been offering special buying incentives specifically tailored to steer people away from Toyota and Lexus dealerships, and even get current Toyota owners out of their cars. And while most people look at this as just a clever marketing technique to promote other automakers in the wake of Toyota’s recall wound, a group of dealers are none too happy about the marketing campaign. What’s more, because the U.S. government currently owns a 60 percent stake in GM, Toyota dealers have made accusations that American taxpayer dollars are being used to fund these incentives.

The Toyota National Dealer Council, which represents approximately 1,250 Toyota dealers across the United States, claims that using taxpayer dollars for this purpose is “reckless, unfair and detrimental to the entire auto industry.” And while we believe it’s a potentially rational argument for the TNDC to make, we must remember that no specific evidence has been presented to completely prove their point. GM may be mostly owned by the U.S. government, but it’s still an autonomous company, and no one can say for sure if its marketing decisions are, in any way, influenced by the officials in Washington, D.C. Hit the jump to read the entire TNDC press release.

[Source: Toyota National Dealer Council | Image: Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP/Getty Images]

Continue reading Toyota dealer group peeved over tax dollar use for GM incentives targeted at Toyota owners

Toyota dealer group peeved over tax dollar use for GM incentives targeted at Toyota owners originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Performance, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Audi, Luxury

In what is currently raw footage but what will soon undoubtedly be slickly produced promotional material, the brutalicious 2011 Audi RS5 growls around a track and on various European roads. For a brief spell it even shares the screen with one of its spiritual brethren, the Ur Quattro.

These things don’t need lots of explaining - follow the jump for the sight and sounds of two of the finest Audi models ever.

Photos by Drew Phillips / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: Carscoop]

Continue reading Video: Promolicious clips of the Audi RS5 meeting its Ur Quattro brother

Video: Promolicious clips of the Audi RS5 meeting its Ur Quattro brother originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Coupe, Marketing/Advertising, Hatchback, Smart, Design/Style

Daimler rang in the new year with an online design contest called “Style your Smart.” Apparently, the idea of decorating a virtual Smart Fortwo appeals to a lot of people, since 50,000 design ideas we submitted by over 8,000 people from 100+ countries. The winner, pictured above, was submitted by Tamir Shefer from Jaffa, Israel. For his entry, Shefer will get €1,500 (about $2,000 USD) and had his car described on the contest website as:

The winner of the contest meets the philosophy of the brand perfectly and encourages the observer to open his mind. You cannot miss this car due to the artistically high level. It combines the joy of life, humanity and the spirit of the city in a modern, fresh and graphically convincing way. It is urban and human friendly at the same time and shows that cars and humans do belong together.

Not bad. Contest participants could also win cash awards for being active on the company’s website, and three other designs drove off with some prize money. All told, Daimler gave out just €5000 (@ $6,800 USD) and received a lot of fan exposure for the money. Well played.

[Source: Smart]

Continue reading “Style your Smart” contest elicits 50,000(!) design ideas

“Style your Smart” contest elicits 50,000(!) design ideas originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Hyundai

There probably isn’t a day that goes by when an automaker isn’t being sued for something. Some suits are extremely serious, while others peg the needle on the frivolity scale. And while Hyundai is flying high on the sales charts right now, the Korean automaker apparently isn’t immune to a trip or two the local trademark infringement court.

At question is a Hyundai Sonata commercial that debuted during the Super Bowl that linked the company’s new-for-2011 sedan to all things luxurious. About four seconds into the spot, a brown basketball with gold symbols is shown. Forgive us if we didn’t immediately notice that the design of the ball is strikingly similar to the colors and symbols of Louis Vuitton, but the world-famous couture company caught on right away. So… are they excited about the free press during the Super Bowl? Not so much.

The Car Connection reports that Louis Vuitton is suing Hyundai because the French purse maker says the Korean automaker tried “to benefit commercially from the fame and renown of the LVM Marks by creating a false association between Louis Vuitton and its automobiles.” So, what does LV want for Hyundai’s alleged trademark infringement? How about “triple damages, punitive damages, a halt to the alleged infringement, and other remedies.” Sounds a lot more expensive than a Louis Vuitton handbag, eh?

We aren’t really up to speed on the legal ramifications of trademark infringement, so we aren’t about to guess as to whether or not Hyundai will end up paying any fines or settlements. We do think it’s a sweet-looking basketball, though, and Louis Vuitton should talk to Hyundai about borrowing that design so they can sell a few $300 $2,300 b-balls. If you don’t remember the commercial in question, hit the jump to see it for yourself.

[Source: The Car Connection | Image: Louis Vuitton]

Continue reading Report: Hyundai sued by Louis Vuitton over high-end basketball [w/video]

Report: Hyundai sued by Louis Vuitton over high-end basketball [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Motorsports, Marketing/Advertising, Renault, Russia

Renault F1’s got itself a new sponsor: Lada. The Russian automaker’s logo will appear on the R30 racing cars, as seen above, as well as the driver and crew uniforms. The announcement was made at a meeting held this Monday in Moscow, attended by Vladimir Putin, Carlos Ghosn, new Renault F1 pilot Vitaly Petrov, and a gaggle of other functionaries.

If you think the Lada sponsorship has anything to do with Renault F1 bringing the Russian rookie on board as the full-time #2 driver alongside lead guy Robert Kubica, you’re right. It pretty much has everything to do with it, as both Genii Capital (the majority stakeholder in Renault F1) and Renault-Nissan (25% stakeholders in AvtoVaz, Lada’s parent) actively work to advance their interests in Russia.

Petrov’s hiring is part of a broader overture toward Russia (on Monday, Ghosn came right out and said that Petrov’s nationality played a role in his selection), and the Lada sponsorship is obviously a reciprocal act. And it may not be the last one, either, as Putin indicated during Monday’s meeting that Russia (i.e. Lada) could increase its sponsorship involvement in the future.

Clearly, the most important takeaway from all this, however, is that the idea of a shirtless Vladimir Putin, watching the Monaco GP from the deck of a Typhoon-class sub moored among the superyachts in Monaco Harbor, no longer seems completely outlandish.

[Source: Renault F1, Government of the Russian Federation via Autoblog UK, Crash.net]

Renault F1: Sponsored by… Lada! originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Car Buying, Marketing/Advertising, GM

General Motors just posted a 12-percent sales increase for the month of February, and now the automaker is hoping to continue its strong sales trend by offering 0 percent financing for 60 months on sales that occur during the month of March. Curiously, this announcement comes just a few days after Toyota started its own 0 percent campaign. GM’s vice president for U.S. marketing, Susan Docherty, argues that the Toyota incentives had nothing to do with The General’s decision to offer similar financing options, saying, “We’re going headstrong into truck month for both Chevrolet and GMC, which is a traditional play that we have normally done during March.”

GM’s program will cover roughly 55 percent of all 2010 models on sale. What’s more, the company is also offering 0 percent financing for 72 months on its remaining 2009 model inventory, covering about 97 percent of what’s left on dealer lots.

We’ll be interested to see if these incentives help boost sales for both Toyota and GM throughout the next month. We’re also wondering if any other manufacturers (ahem, Ford) will follow suit.

[Source: Automotive News, sub. req.| Image: David McNew/Getty]

GM offering 0% financing for month of March originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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